Generally, this invention relates to collapsible structures such as toys and outdoor items such as tents and the like. Specifically the invention focuses upon a tunnel-oriented pet toy. It also relates to simple and economical methods to construct these types of items.
Collapsible tents, toys and other types of structures have been in use for a very long time. These devices come in a variety of designs which optimize certain features and allow uses in different manners. Since the items in use are designed to occupy a significant volume, an almost universal goal is to allow these structures to be collapsed to as minimum a volume as possible while having a great ability to maintain their shape in use. The present invention presents a design which allows an even greater degree of compression while also permitting erection of the item with virtually no need for user interaction.
In addition to widespread use of structures such as tents and the like, certain types of structures can be appropriate as a toy whether for children or pets. The present invention presents a design which is particularly suited for use in an entertainment context for small children and pets because the design is a completely economical design to construct. It also allows for easy integration of noise generating features such as a crinkly material in an economical manner.
One of the difficulties which previous designs have found challenging is adequate and economical support for the structure--particularly the center of the structure where a person or animal is most likely to need head room. Some designs, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,675,667 and 3,960,161 achieve this only through tension which holds the cover material taut. Alternatively, in the latter of these two, center structural support is shown by combining two units back to back. As the present invention shows this requires unnecessary materials and supporting structure.
Another aspect which has been desirable has been complete compaction of the unit when not in use. As with the prior two designs several other designs such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,858,634, 3,848,615, 3,990,463, and 5,249,592 provide for compaction when not in use; however, in each of these the flexible structural support members overlap and thus cannot achieve as flat a package as desired.
Certainly as these referenced patents show, there have been a great variety of designs in tents and other structural things. Not many designs have approached the unique requirements of the toy field let alone the pet toy field. Regardless of the field of application, the present invention improves upon previous devices by allowing not only better collapsing when not in use but also by providing a more economical design to manufacture. Since the present invention makes use of materials and systems which have been known for years, it can be shown that true appreciation of the problems was not perhaps fully understood by those skilled in the art. While they had attempted to provide for collapsible units as several of the previous designs show in their figures, they had allowed the structural members to overlap and thus had unnecessarily required greater volume when collapsed. They had also not achieved as efficient a design as the present invention. To this extent each of the designs teaches away from the direction taken by the present invention.